as in criminal
not restrained by or under the control of legal authority
some sociologists specialize in studying the lawbreaking elements of society
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in crime
a breaking of a moral or legal code
even something as simple as littering is considered an example of lawbreaking
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in criminality
activities that are in violation of the laws of the state
an outbreak of lawbreaking plagued the city in the months following the end of the war
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lawbreaking
Adjective
-
The 1983 crime classic follows determined, criminal-minded Cuban immigrant Tony Montana (Pacino), who becomes the biggest drug smuggler in Miami and is eventually undone by his own drug addiction.—
Carly Thomas,
HollywoodReporter,
5 Oct. 2025 -
That panel included two former judges who had overseen international criminal tribunals, a former legal adviser to the British Foreign Office, and Amal Clooney, a British Lebanese human-rights lawyer and the wife of George Clooney.—
David D. Kirkpatrick,
New Yorker,
5 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Tennessee law holds that those who committed crimes before 1999 can choose between being put to death by lethal injection or the electric chair.—
Evan Mealins,
Nashville Tennessean,
3 Oct. 2025
-
The office's programming extends to other areas as well, including domestic violence, human trafficking and interacting with victims of crimes.—
David Clarey,
jsonline.com,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The first is to expose Hamas’s criminality and the futility of its terror, which has led to the annihilation of Gaza.—
Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib,
The Atlantic,
23 Sep. 2025
-
His manipulating voters with their own tax dollars borders on criminality.—
John Moorlach,
Oc Register,
22 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The Western world is experiencing something of a psychedelic renaissance, with an increasing amount of interest in drugs that decades ago were considered rebellious and dangerous to some groups but fun to others who used it while clubbing and attending raves.—
Soph Warnes,
CNN Money,
28 Sep. 2025
-
Bob and Zoyd are both paranoid in the wake of their rebellious pasts.—
Andrew McGowan,
Variety,
26 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Louisville police say anything that goes into the air or explodes is illegal for average citizens.—
James Bruggers,
The Courier-Journal,
5 July 2017
-
Official fireworks shows took place over the city, and illegal pyrotechnics lit up the sky everywhere in between.—
Lisa Beebe,
Los Angeles Magazine,
5 July 2017
Noun
-
Another major violation would be improper cooling.—
Camila Pedrosa,
Sacbee.com,
5 Oct. 2025
-
Adav Noti, a former FEC general counsel and now executive director of the Campaign Legal Center, says even with a quorum, the commission has historically done very little to regulate campaign finance violations.—
Ashley Lopez,
NPR,
4 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Their function, Milic said, was to illicit wonder and curiosity.—
Richard Ruelas,
AZCentral.com,
4 Oct. 2025
-
Using records from Japan's Foreign Ministry, a map shows that, in addition to Canada, Australia, France, Italy, New Zealand and the United Kingdom have also deployed warships and aircraft to counter illicit North Korean activities at sea this year.—
Ryan Chan,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Their sins will be washed away by the waters of liberty.—
City News Service,
Oc Register,
26 Sep. 2025
-
Maybe she’s being punished for her sin?—
Keith Phipps,
Vulture,
25 Sep. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Lawbreaking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lawbreaking. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.
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